1. I think that despite the fact that I haven't had the time or energy to comment on your blogs this week, reading them has been a real delight. Kept me going. Also, see #3.

2. I think we're trying to decide how to do a gardening post for Neel. I have tons of photos, a lot from last weekend. And I could trot them out as we go. But right now I'm thinking of saving them so Neel can write his own post. I feel sure that like Callum's, his post will include the phrase "So, so freaking good," in relation to something...

3. I think one of the most lighthearted moments of my week was the 20 or so minutes Erin and I spent tweeting about this and all its counterparts. I think we might need a movie marathon this weekend. Because nothing says Easter like a good caper movie.

4. I think I'm not so great at Easter. We're not terribly churchy, so that's part of it, and we have no family around us. Sometimes it feels hard to trot out a big meal for just the three of us, but that's likely what we'll do. I should start thinking about that.

5. I think it's pretty nice how even though I have to work today and Monday that with Callum having those days off it feels like a four-day weekend. I could use a four-day weekend. What are you up to, pups? We might head to Ikea tomorrow. Callum needs a dresser. He's using the dresser that I used when I was a baby! And then Sunday, well, that's Easter. And you can see how far I've gotten with that. Any suggestions?

love you, ducks! happy weekend! xo

For us, the hardest part about Callum getting braces was giving up popcorn. We've been eating popcorn as a snack around here since he was the smallest of babes, and I had to pick off the fluffy bits so he wouldn't choke on the kernels and husks. Back then we called it "pop-pop." Fast forward to the school years and popcorn was an afternoon staple around here. The first snack Callum could really make himself.

It's been nearly a year now, and I'm still struggling to find a good after-school snack (boy needs to eat when he gets home) that's not too over-the-top unhealthy, is satisfying and that Cal can manage himself. Lately we've been buying Chex Mix at the grocery store and gobbling bag after bag of that. Apparently we need crunch. Every winter, at Christmastime, I make homemade Chex Mix for us to snack on...it's a tradition around these parts. And while I'd thought about making Chex Mix for our everyday, somehow I resisted. I wanted our traditional holiday snack to still feel special.

This weekend I caved. I'm tired of buying bags of Chex Mix (tasty though it is) with processed ingredients when we all love the homemade versions so much. When I make it, we determine the mix of stuff (heavy on chex, heavy on nuts, light on pretzels), and while it's not completely healthy (can you say butter?), at least I know what's in it.

My decision to cave and go ahead and make it, off season, was met with universal praise. 100% of my constituents approved. I have two problems now, however. First, living with this stuff in the house while I'm working home alone all day. And second, if a big container of this manna from heaven is going to sit on my counter, I am going to need a prettier, air-tight container. Can you get on that for me, Erin?

five things april 6th edition

snacks? check {life}